2011-8999. Tribal Consultation Meetings

AGENCY:

Administration for Children and Families' Office of Head Start (OHS), HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

Pursuant to the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, Public Law 110-134, notice is hereby given of one-day Tribal Consultation Sessions to be held between the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start leadership and the leadership of Tribal Governments operating Head Start (including Early Head Start) programs. The purpose of these Consultation Sessions is to discuss ways to better meet the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native children and their families, taking into consideration funding allocations, distribution formulas, and other issues affecting the delivery of Head Start services in their geographic locations [42 U.S.C. 9835, Section 640(l)(4)].

Dates AND Locations:

Office of Head Start Tribal Consultation Sessions will be held as follows:

Friday, April 29, 2011—Albuquerque, New Mexico—Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th Street, NW., Albuquerque NM 87104.

Thursday, May 19, 2011—Marksville, Louisiana—Paragon Casino Resort, 6773 East Tunica Drive, Marksville, LA 71351.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Camille Loya, Tribal Policy Lead, e-mail [e-mail] or phone [phone]. Additional information and online meeting registration is available at http://www.headstartresourcecenter.org.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Health and Human Services announces OHS Tribal Consultations for leaders of Tribal Governments operating Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Regions I, II, IV, and VI. The Consultation Session for Region VI will take place Friday, April 29, 2011, at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, immediately following the Department of Health and Human Services Regional Consultations session. The Consultation Session for Regions I, II, and IV will take place Thursday, May 19, 2011, at the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, Louisiana, immediately following the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. 2011 Semi-annual Meeting. We are convening the OHS Tribal Consultations in conjunction with other Tribal Leader events in order to minimize the financial and travel burden for participants.

The agendas for both scheduled OHS Tribal Consultations will be organized around the statutory purposes of Head Start Tribal Consultations related to meeting the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native children and families, taking into consideration funding allocations, distribution formulas, and other issues affecting the delivery of Head Start services in their geographic locations. In addition, OHS will share actions taken and in progress to address the issues and concerns raised in 2010 OHS Tribal Consultations.

Tribal leaders and designated representatives interested in submitting written testimony or proposing specific agenda topics for the Albuquerque or Marksville Consultation Sessions should contact Camille Loya at [e-mail] at least three days in advance of the Session. Proposals should include a brief description of the topic area along with the name and contact information of the suggested presenter.

The Consultation Sessions will be conducted with elected or appointed leaders of Tribal Governments and their designated representatives [42 U.S.C.9835, Section 640(l)(4)(A)]. Designees must have a letter from the Tribal Government authorizing them to represent the Tribe. The letter should be submitted at least three days in advance of the Consultation Session to Camille Loya at [phone] (fax). Other representatives of Tribal organizations and Native nonprofit organizations are welcome to attend as observers.

A detailed report of each Consultation Session will be prepared and made available within 90 days of the Consultation Session to all Tribal Governments receiving funds for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Tribes wishing to submit written testimony for the report should send testimony to Camille Loya at [e-mail] either prior to the Consultation Session or within 30 days after the meeting.

Oral testimony and comments from the Consultation Session will be summarized in the report without attribution, along with topics of concern and recommendations. Hotel and logistical information for all Consultation Sessions has been sent to Tribal leaders via e-mail and posted on the Head Start Resource Center Web site at http://www.headstartresourcecenter.org.

Dated: April 6, 2011.

Ann Linehan,

Deputy Director, Office of Head Start.